Reluctant Retiree

Why is it so hard to find encouragement and to give encouragement? I am not talking about empty flattery, but words that reach down into the soul of another and bring light and hope. Every day I need someone to come to me with words that build me up. We are so prone to sarcasm, which while not always meant to harm, sarcasm can tear down.

Hebrews 3:13 says, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today”, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” The writer acknowledges the importance of encouragement, which he calls exhortation. Encouragement from others plays a vital role in keeping us from sin. Without encouragement we may seek fulfillment in sinful pleasures. The writer also states that encouragement is needed daily.

We all need encouragement and we all need it every day. But we also need to be encouragers every day. Try this for one day: leave sarcasm and complaining behind and give someone real encouragement. I guarantee that you will have a positive effect on the person you encourage. I also guarantee that your words will have a positive effect on you.

In the courtroom, judges and juries listen to and see evidence in order to ascertain the truth and make a valid judgment. Witnesses will attest to their knowledge of the events and circumstances. Pertinent physical evidence will be presented and evaluated. Scientific research will be added to determine the validity of the evidence. Statements will be made by attorneys for both parties. Then the judge or jury determines the verdict.

Faith in Jesus has its own set of forensic evidence. First and foremost is God’s Word and testimony. God has stated very clearly that Jesus Christ is His Son by whose sacrifice we can be saved. Then there is Jesus’s own words declaring that He is the Son of God and that He came to seek and save those who are lost. Next, we have the testimony of hundreds of men and women who heard Jesus teach and saw Him perform many miracles. Then we have the record of the miracles themselves, attested to by eye witnesses. Chief among these miracles was His own resurrection from the dead and His appearance to more than 500 people after His crucifixion. Of course, we also have the personal testimonies of all who have turned to faith in Him. Lastly, the book of Romans declares that creation itself bears witness to God’s glory.

All that evidence means nothing unless you choose to accept it and believe by faith that Jesus Christ will save you. You can choose to reject the evidence and live as though it is irrelevant. Or you can choose to accept God’s free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. You are your own jury. Will you exercise faith in God’s truth? One word of warning though. You are not the judge. God is the judge and He will exercise His judgment.

As the temperatures outside fall, the thermostat inside is set at increasing levels. We compromise and set the thermostat at a level that is too low for her and too high for me, but bearable for both of us.

If only it was so easy to regulate our internal emotional temperature. For instance, I am not usually easily angered. But at times I can feel my anger temperature rising when I perceive some injustice or am pushed in a direction that I do not wish to go. If I give in to the anger impulse and react inappropriately, then I am sinning and generally offending someone.

Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Anger of itself is not the problem. We can be angry at injustice and unrighteousness. The problem comes when we improperly act upon our anger and hurt others in the process. We need to find a way to keep our internal thermostats set at peaceful levels. That generally means that we must turn the anger over to Jesus and let Him deal with the source of our anger. He can help us to respond in gentleness and humility, which the Bible says will turn away wrath.

As a kid, do you remember saying “That’s not fair” at some perceived injustice. When my sister or I said that phrase, it usually had to do with desserts. One of us would complain that the other received more than we did. Perhaps you complained that your sibling was allowed to do something that you weren’t. Basically, we thought that our sibling was treated differently than us, even in similar circumstances.

Social justice leaders use the same logic in describing our justice system today. They state that enforcement of laws is not even handed. Whether or not we agree on a case by case basis, we need to listen to the complaints and make improvements where necessary.

Unfortunately, perfect justice will not exist in our world, because imperfect people administer justice. However, we can find perfect justice administered in complete righteousness. Psalm 33:4-5 says, “For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” God can enforce perfect justice because He is completely righteous. His justice is even better because He is always loving and faithful to His Word.

The only place that you will find true justice is in our holy God. That fact can be either good news or bad news. It is good news to those who trust in Jesus, because in Him our sins (unrighteous acts) are forgiven and we are redeemed. But for those who do not trust in Jesus, God’s justice will demand punishment for their unrighteous acts. God’s judgment is coming. Will you stand with the redeemed, or will you suffer the punishment of a just God?

Raising our voices can be a sign that something good is happening. But it can also result from an unpleasant experience. A sports fan loudly cheers when his team scores, but also harshly scolds his team’s mistakes. Crowds scream allegiance to their favorite personalities and performers, but loudly rebuke those that they disagree with. We might raise our voices to hail a taxi in the city or to signal to a friend far away.

So raising our voices is socially acceptable, in many places. However, we look down on people who loudly berate a retail or restaurant worker. Loud voices in hospitals are frowned upon. We dislike high volumes from our close neighbors and those who disagree with us.

You may not know this, but the Bible actually approves of loud voices. Psalm 66:1-2 says, “Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!” So the next time you feel like shouting, go ahead and give it your best shot. Only make your words be praises to God. You might want to be a little careful where you shout praises, like not in a hospital zone. But let the praises be raised. God is certainly worthy of our praise.